Loki Won't Be Back For The Avengers 2

Loki, the Asgardian villain played by Tom Hiddleston, has had a great run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only was he one of the best parts of Kenneth Branagh's Thor, he took center stage and took on a team of superheroes at once in Joss Whedon's The Avengers. We know his story isn't over, as he will again be back for Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World (due out in November), but his future beyond that is a question mark. But while we don't know what Marvel's larger plans are for the trickster god, one thing is for certain: he won't be going up against The Avengers again any time soon.

Despite being a fan-favorite character in the MCU, Loki will not be coming back for The Avengers 2. Whedon, who is back both writing and directing the 2015 blockbuster, recently appeared on the Empire Magazine podcast and revealed that Loki will not be a part of the story. The filmmaker revealed the detail about the sequel while talking about the need to replicate some of the last film's best and most powerful moments. "Everyone is going to be looking for the Loki-Hulk smash moment and you'll be looking for [a quim moment]," Whedon said, referring to the villain's use of the slur while talking with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. "First of all, imitating what I did before is the surest way to do it not as well. Second of all, Loki's not there to say those terrible things. Although I do think we should bring the word back, not as an insult, it's just a nice word."

The news about Loki shouldn't come as a big surprise to Marvel fans, as it's pretty clear that the studio has some much bigger plans in the works. In the mid-credits sequence of The Avengers they revealed that it was actually the incredibly powerful Titan known as Thanos who was pulling the Asgardian's strings and organizing the Chitauri army, suggesting that he will be the next major villain that Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and the other superheroes will have to team up and face.

Looking at the news from another angle, does Loki's absence suggest anything about the end of Thor: The Dark World? As seen in the teaser trailer the new movie has Thor (Chris Hemsworth) both teaming up with and threatening to kill his brother, so how will that relationship turn out? It could be that Loki will just be sitting in a cell at the end of the film or it could be that he is down with the rest of the dead in Hel.

As great as Loki is, this is probably best for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the most amazing things about the franchise is the opportunity to bring to life hundreds of never-before-seen characters, and if the filmmakers keep recycling the ones they've already featured there's not going to be any time for that. I'm all for Loki and Hiddleston coming back, but if they spread out his appearances it will only seem more special.

But what do you think? Would you have wanted to see Loki back in The Avengers 2, or are you happy they're going to start introducing some new characters? Answer our poll and tell us your thoughts in the comments below!